The Oz of Alphabet City
by Super Puppy
Summary: Essentially a Wizard of Oz parody done with the RENT characters in a universe that’s kind of a cross between the two. This story has a lot of twists and whatnot that the Wizard of Oz doesn't because I included RENT plot stuff, like canon couples, as well.
1. Chapter 1

**This idea just hit me one day when I was listening to my RENT soundtrack and saw my old Wizard of Oz movie on a shelf.**

**Many characters will be a bit OOC. I just have to twist them a little to fit into the roles. Please forgive me and try to just enjoy the story, haha. **

**This first chapter is the weakest. This is the only part of the plot I was unsure of, so I just kind of threw it together. Bear with me, it gets better.**

**I don't know exactly how dark this story will get, but I may have to raise the rating in the future.**

**Every time you don't review, a puppy dies.**

_Chapter One: Welcome to Alphabet City _

"Oh, honey, don't bark so loud!" Angel chided.

Her small mutt Akita simply looked at her questioningly, then turned her little head out the window and began barking again.

She sighed. Angel Dumont Schunard was a young drag queen who lived in some small, nameless town in Kansas, or as she liked to call it, "Nowheresville." Angel did not want to live in Nowheresvile, you see, she wanted to go to some big city like New York and break into show business as a performer or maybe a drummer. She often dreamed of such things.

However, New York was far from her mind today. Today was Christmas Eve in Nowheresville, and Angel was driving some baked goods to her family a few hours out of town. She was taking her little dog, Akita, along for the ride. Akita had come wandering onto Angel's property about two weeks prior with a collar that said nothing but the name "Akita Evita," and the kind-hearted artist had taken her in.

She was beginning to regret it.

Akita, as cute as she was, had a barking problem. Well, it was more of an addiction. Her yapping, while normally quite bothersome, was currently doing even more damage by distracting Angel from the task at hand: find the freeway that would lead her to her aunt's house.

"Shh, honey, be quiet please! Mommy needs to focus right now." Angel pleaded with the pup. She turned back to the road and tried to remember her directions.

"Let's see, get on the interstate going north… okay then." Angel glanced down at the map sitting on her dashboard. "I think the onramp is coming up here in just a minute – _Akita!"_ Angel shrieked, half-laughing. Akita had chosen this moment to latch onto Angel's face and begin licking it madly.

"You're gonna mess up my makeup!" She fussed, still giggling. "Okay honey, sit in the back for awhile, all right?" She pried the animal off of her face and set her in the back seat next to a black, sequined purse. Akita, apparently giving up, squirmed around a bit and fell asleep. Angel turned back to the road.

"Where was I… ah yes! The interstate! There it is." Angel zoomed forward and onto the freeway. "Wonderful! Now I just go along here for about three hours and take the exit into downtown!" Angel smiled to herself.

Three-and-a-half hours later, she wasn't smiling.

"Where's that damn exit? I don't recognize any of these stops. I should have been there by now…"

Angel pulled off the freeway and onto a narrow, unoccupied street. As she puttered along, she glanced again at her map.

"Where did I go wrong? Unless… did I get on the freeway going the wrong direction?" She studied the map more closely. "Yes, that must be it, I – Woah!"

Angel looked up and realized with a jolt that she was heading for what she could only describe as some sort of black hole. Unable to stop in time, the car shot into the strange vortex.

The mysterious hole now resembled the inside of a tunnel, but it was too dark to see anything, really. Suddenly, Angel saw a figure fly out in front of the car. It was dark, but she could tell that it was a young girl. She almost looked like she'd jumped. The drag queen covered her face with her hands and shrieked, but there was no way for her to stop the car. She heard a sickening _thump_ even over her own screams as the vehicle collided with the girl.

Overwhelmed, Angel stopped really attempting to do anything and just continued to hide in her own arms until she felt the car finally jerk to a stop. Cautiously, she lifted her head and looked around. She glanced at the back seat and saw that Akita was badly shaken but unharmed. She was even too shocked to bark. Angel then peeked at her surroundings. She was in what looked like a run-down old city. She didn't see any people around. Shakily, she opened her car door and stepped outside. She took a deep breath and looked down at the front of her car, knowing what to expect. It wasn't as bad as she thought.

Lying on the ground in front of her was a woman wearing a black dress with red-and-white stockings and lovely red shoes. She had dark red hair that was tied up in a ponytail. Though Angel guessed that she was young, her face showed signs of aging, probably due to stress or worry. The odd part was that Angel didn't see any blood or signs of trauma anywhere on the girl. But she was clearly dead. The drag queen was so busy studying the figure that she didn't notice a woman walk up behind her.

"Hello there! Welcome to Alphabet City!"

Angel jumped and turned around. "Oh sugar, you startled me!" She found herself face-to-face with an important-looking woman with jet black hair and a business suit. Well, face-to-face wasn't the best way to describe it. The woman was at least a foot shorter than Angel herself.

"My apologies. My name is Alexi Darling! We haven't had any newcomers in a long time, so please excuse my excitement." Alexi stuck out her hand.

Uncertainly, Angel shook it, then remembered her dilemma. "Um, look, I don't mean to come on such bad terms, but this woman here… she just appeared in front of my car while I was driving… I couldn't stop… and well…" Angel stepped to the side, hanging her head, and allowed Alexi a full view of the redhead.

"Oh! Why, that's April!" Alexi cried, shaken.

"April?" Angel inquired.

"Oh yes! Hmm, well, don't feel too bad about what happened. April's been nothing but trouble. She lives in the eastern part of town, and apparently takes pleasure in terrorizing everyone around her. That girl was downright wicked."

Angel took a moment to process the information. "I'm sure she was just misunderstood."

"Unlikely! Anyway, it doesn't matter. Someone probably pushed her in front of you! It's not like there was anything you could have done anyway. You clearly couldn't control your car. Oh! Speaking of your car…"

Angel turned to look at it and gasped. She hadn't noticed at first, but the entire right side of her car was totaled. She realized then how she had stopped moving so suddenly: she had crashed into a tree.

"Oh damn, that's gonna be expensive." She sighed. "Now how am I going to get home? Home! Wait a minute!" Angel had been so wrapped up in April that she had forgotten the vortex incident. "Excuse me Alexi, but, where is this? You said Alphabet City? But what's that?"

"Alphabet City, hon! You don't know what this is? It's the biggest city in Oz!"

"Oz?"

Alexi threw her arms in the air dramatically. "Have you lived under a rock your whole life or something?"

"No, I've lived in Kansas."

"Kansas? Never heard of it. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Your car is done for."

"Well, isn't there anything I can do?"

"Hmm… I can't think of anything. Oh! I know! You can go see the governor of Alphabet City! They say the guy can work miracles. Besides, I hear he's loaded. Oh, speaking of which, he's very greedy. You'll need to give him something in return for the favor. Ah! Here we go!" Alexi bent down and unscrewed a gold ring from April's finger. "You can use this!"

"That's not very respectful…" Angel mused.

"Oh, she's dead. She won't mind. Here, take it!" Alexi pushed the ring into Angel's palm. "Now, to find him, follow Jaune Street all the way until you hit downtown. That's where Governor Benjamin Coffin III lives."

_Governor Coffin? How depressing_. Angel thought.

"EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME!" A loud voice boomed from seemingly nowhere. Angel jumped a foot in the air. Alexi jumped three.

"Maureen!" The frightened woman squeaked.

"Who's that?" Angel turned in the general direction of the sound.

"She's an enemy of the government who stages protests and sometimes uses underhanded means to rebel. But more importantly, she and April were best friends. She has eyes everywhere. She probably already knows you killed her."

"I thought April didn't have any friends?"

"Well, I didn't count Maureen." Alexi shrugged.

"What, I don't matter?" Maureen pouted, appearing next to Alexi and breathing down her neck. Alexi screeched and fell over. Angel got a good look at her.

Maureen was tall and had long, curly brunette hair that fell down past her shoulders. She wore black leather pants and a tight-fitting jacket, complete with leather boots.

She turned on Angel. "You! You're the little bitch that killed my April!" She pointed a long, manicured finger at the performer. "How awful!" She grabbed Angel's wrist and yanked her forward, then gasped dramatically when she saw the ring. "YOU GIVE THAT BACK! You didn't even know her! That ring is sentimental! Hand it over!"

Angel shrank back and examined the ring in her hand. As over-dramatic and clearly evil this Maureen was, she had a point. Maybe she'd be left alone if she just gave her the ring.

Alexi interjected. "Now, now Maureen. Let's just talk this through…"

"I'm not talking to you!" Maureen snapped. She pushed her hand against Alexi's chest and clicked her tongue. Alexi let out a sharp cry and fell down, clutching her heart.

"Maureen, chica! Stop all this shouting!" Another voice materialized. Angel blinked, and now there was a cute Latina girl standing between her and Maureen. "And stop electrocuting the innocent!" She thunked Maureen in the forehead. Angel felt weak-kneed. She was thoroughly confused.

"Meems?" Maureen was taken aback. She recovered her composure quickly. "Go away! I should get that ring and you know it!"

"You should calm down." The girl said. Her voice became hypnotic. "Just calm down. Take deep breaths. Leave this nice lady alone. Go home." She spoke slowly, accentuating every word, and Maureen responded to the soothing words.

"All right Mimi… I'm going…" Maureen vanished.

Angel blinked. How could people just disappear like that? This was strange.

And it was going to get stranger.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this chapter's a bit shorter than the first one, guys. I just want to make sure I keep posting these because I really want to get this story out there.**

**To my reviewers:**

**Lalaith****: Thanks for being my first review! I assure you, I'm up for the challenge. Haha.**

**Oh Shiz****: I appreciate the compliment! You know it's strange, I wasn't going for comedy but my stories always seem to come out that way.**

**Ohmyrentness****: Well, thanks! Good to know I have support.**

"Oof, oww… I should know better then to piss her off…" Alexi mumbled, brushing herself off and standing up slowly.

Angel and the girl called Mimi both turned to face her.

"At least she didn't get you too bad, right girl?" Mimi interjected cheerfully. She moved to help Alexi.

Angel frowned. This was all way too much to take in at once. "All right people, I appreciate the help and all, but… _what the hell_?"

"Don't you worry! You just focus on getting back home, okay sweetie?" Mimi said quickly, her voice dripping with syrupy sweetness.

"Yeah, I don't need to worry…" Angel repeated. She felt strangely calm and at peace all of a sudden.

Mimi patted her back and continued talking. "Just take the ring and go downtown… oh! And give my regards to Benny the Sleazeball!"

Alexi stifled a laugh at the nickname, passing it off as a cough.

Angel turned to the smooth-talker, frowning. "You know him?"

"Oh, we had a, erm, thing in the past. It didn't end well." Mimi pouted. "Bastard."

Alexi sighed. "Men! You know… they seem to be afraid of me for some reason…"

Angel laughed softly. "Well, all right then. But I don't think this Benny will want to help me if I insult him like that!"

Mimi giggled. It was a lovely sound. Angel was reminded faintly of wind chimes.

"No, no, of course not! Perhaps I should have just kept my big mouth shut! No, off you go!" Mimi pushed Angel gently in the direction of Jaune Street. "I'll come say goodbye before you leave, don't worry!"

"Thanks, sugar!" Angel called behind her. She didn't know what it was, but something about the Latina girl made her feel very happy. She'd almost forgotten that she'd just shot through a black hole into a magical world and killed someone.

As she began walking, Angel took a moment to observe the scenery. Jaune Street was actually quite lovely, in its own way. Though it was a bit run-down, Angel could see that the city was once thriving with life. The buildings were tall and impressive, and the road was wide to accompany the countless people that no doubt once traversed it.

She followed the street into a small, quiet park filled with trees. It looked as if nobody had been there for awhile, as the plant life was overgrown and taking over the fences and even the sidewalk that Angel was following.

The wind picked up and Angel pulled her white jacket tighter around her shoulders. Even the wind here was lovely, she noted. When it blew, it almost sounded like a voice whispering in her ear. Wait a minute… was that a voice?

Angel listened more closely. Yes, there was definitely a voice. But where was it coming from? She listened closely.

"Uh, excuse me? Miss? Yes, you down there in the blue dress?"

Angel looked down at her blue dress. The voice was addressing her? "Um… hello? Where are you?"

"Up here! In the tree!"

Angel looked up at the massive oak tree she was standing in front of. Sure enough, she saw a young man clinging to one of the tall branches. "I'm, uh, stuck." He said in a small voice.

Angel glanced at him skeptically. "Need some help?"

"That'd be nice!"

"Um…" Angel looked around nervously, trying to figure out how to get the very trapped man back to earth. Glancing to her left, she spotted some dead shrubbery. "Here, jump onto this!" She shouted back up, dragging the bushes directly under the tree.

"Well… all right…" He replied, looking less than convinced at the safety of the plant. "Goodbye cruel world!" He cried dramatically, leaping down. He landed unceremoniously in the heap of leaves with a resounding "Oof." Angel couldn't help but giggle a bit. At least he didn't miss.

Groggily, he raised his head from the rubble and looked at Angel. "Uh… thanks."

Angel tried to keep a straight face. "You're welcome." She walked over to him and offered him her hand to stand up, which he readily accepted. She hoisted him to his feet easily. He was surprisingly light. "I'm Angel." She introduced, shaking his hand (as she was still holding it).

"Mark." He replied simply, shooting her a crooked smile.

Angel took a moment to look at Mark. He was rather pale and very thin, donning black jeans with a sweater that would have looked sharp had it not been so worn. His hair was blonde and spiky, his glasses thick, and his eyes blue and captivating. He radiated… friendliness.

"So, Mark, what exactly were you doing in a tree?" Angel inquired, amused.

He chuckled nervously. "Hiding from his woman named Alexi. She's… uh… well, crazy."

Angel burst out laughing.

Mark looked at her quizzically. "You know her?"

"You know, she did mention something about – well, never mind." Angel managed to choke out.

"Huh. Well anyway, I've never seen you around before. Where are you from?" Mark seemed ready to dismiss the topic of his apparently insane stalker.

Angel didn't blame him. "I'm from… out of town. I'm going to meet the governor to see if he knows how to help me get back."

Almost as soon as the words left her lips, Angel wondered if she'd said something wrong. Mark's eyes darkened. "Oh." He said softly.

"You know him?"

"Not anymore."

Angel was puzzled. "Something wrong?"

"Me and Benny just don't get along nowadays, I guess. Oh well." The corners of his mouth twitched up in a tiny smile. "It's been a long time, maybe I should just get over it. Besides, I know how to find him. Do you want some help?"

Angel liked the sound of that. She hadn't thought of it before, but finding some guy she knew nothing about save a name _would_ be hard in this strange, mixed-up world. But Mark had seemed a little off since she mentioned him.

"If you're sure." She answered carefully.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Anything to get away from Alexi for awhile, anyway." He half-joked. He offered her his arm in a mock gentlemanly fashion. "Shall we?"

Angel accepted in an equally mocking gesture and looped her arm through his elbow. "Okay, onwards to Benny!" She giggled. The pair marched forward and Angel hummed merrily, totally oblivious to the real reason Mark needed to see his old friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow! I didn't even realize how long it's been since I updated. Sorry guys, this story is taking longer to write than I first imagined. Finals are kicking my ass.**

**Well, as of today, I'm officially on winter break, so I hope to be writing a little more over the next couple weeks. If all goes well, I'll be done before I have to go back to school.**

**NOTE: I found that there has been some confusion as to my casting earlier. Just to clear it up: Mimi is Glinda and Alexi is a munchkin. Haha, well, I tried. I really saw Alexi in that part, but she appears as a normal-size person in both the movie and the musical, so I just had to make do. I also gave her some of what is normally Glinda's part, just because it played out that way, so that might have contributed. Sorry everyone!**

**To my reviewers:**

**CES5410:**** Thanks! Yeah, how could he not?**

**Chalcedony Rivers****: ****Sorry about that! I think I patched that all up above. Anyway, the rest of the cast should be clearer.**

**Oh Shiz:**** Yeah, well, I had to get him stuck in something somehow. The Alexi thing practically wrote itself. Glad you like the story!**

**Maureen Elphie Menzel: ****Well, how perfect! I couldn't see Angel being anyone else, haha. By the way, I've just got to mention, I love your username!**

**Ohmyrentness:**** No problemo.**

"Mark?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah?" He jumped a little, then turned to meet Angel's curious gaze.

"Everything all right, there? You seem like you're distracted by something." Angel mused.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just…" Mark paused, "yeah, nothing." He shook his head and sighed quietly.

Angel frowned, but Mark chuckled lightly and raised his head and looked at her again. "Sorry, I'm not usually this contemplative." He laughed again.

"It's fine." Angel urged as she tried to piece together what 'contemplative' meant.

Angel turned forward to face the road again. They were still in what was apparently a very large park, and it was growing more unruly with each block. She could barely see the sidewalk under her feet anymore. She hoped Mark knew where he was going. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, but as soon as she did, she felt something thump lightly against her foot. She stopped and looked down to see an apple a few inches from her right toe.

"Ooh, an apple!" She picked it up and began cleaning it on the fabric of her sweater. "Hey Mark, wanna split this?"

Mark looked like he had an answer, but he was cut off by an annoyed voice from off to their left.

"Hey! That's mine!"

The two looked up to see a middle-aged woman in tattered clothing leaning against an abandoned building.

"Oh, I'm sorry ma'am!" Angel promptly apologized, walking over to her with the fruit in hand.

"You're damn right you're sorry, _sir_!" She snapped, taking the apple back.

Angel looked hurt for a moment, then angry. She reeled back to give the homeless woman a kick in the shins, but Mark caught her.

"C'mon guys, this isn't necessary." He interrupted, stepping between them.

"Nobody asked for your opinion, blondie!" The lady raged. She chucked the apple at Mark's head and hit her target with a hollow _thud_.

"Oww!" He whined, rubbing his skull.

"Well, it's your own fault for not controlling your thieving little friend!" She crossed her arms, apparently satisfied with her justification.

Angel had had enough. "Oh yeah, well _fuck you!"_ She turned on her heel and grabbed Mark's arm, dragging him away, leaving the woman to stare at them with her mouth agape.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Mark started laughing and clapped Angel on the back. "I wish I'd recorded that! Her face was priceless."

Angel laughed with him. "Not as good as yours when she clonked you with that apple."

Mark sulked slightly. "She throws hard." He mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Angel snorted and tried unsuccessfully to pass it off as a coughing fit, earning a glare from Mark. After she finally calmed down, she decided to discuss the journey ahead.

"So anyway, how much further do we have to go before we get downtown?"

"Well, pretty far, unfortunately. But we're coming into a busier part of town now, so maybe the walk will be more interesting." He answered hopefully.

"Perhaps…" Angel's voice trailed off as she glanced around and realized he was right. The streets were slowly growing less deserted as they exited the strange park and came into what looked like a main road.

"In a minute we'll come to a really busy part of town where the streets are packed. I know a café around there where we can stop and rest, if you want." Mark continued.

"Yeah, that sounds nice."

Sure enough, they soon turned a corner on to what was obviously a very busy street. There were people all over the place, walking quickly with their heads down. Angel sensed something off about the crowd, but she couldn't place it for several long seconds until it finally clicked in her head. Almost nobody was speaking, and if they were, it was only a whisper.

"Hey Mark, why is everyone so quiet?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Nobody wants to get in trouble, I guess. Better to say nothing then let the wrong thing slip." He answered, just as quietly.

Angel frowned. She thought of asking Mark for more details, but decided against it. Perhaps there was somewhere safer they could talk about it later.

She was pulled from her wandering thoughts by the sound of a street musician strumming a sad melody on a guitar. It grew louder as they moved forward, and soon enough, Angel caught sight of the guitarist. He was perched against the wall of a restaurant, playing for tips.

Angel was suddenly stricken with the urge to talk to him. She wandered over and Mark followed, unsure of what she was doing.

"Hey there, sugar." She tried.

He looked up at her, running a hand through his light hair. "Hi. Can I help you?" Angel wished she could hear his voice because she got the impression it would be nice to listen to, but of course, they all had to whisper.

"No, no, you just looked like someone who needs a friend." Angel replied cheerily, snapping back to the conversation.

He looked at her strangely. "Uh-_huh._ Well, are you the kind of friend who buys your friends lunch?"

Angel chuckled brightly. "Well, if you want." She suddenly remembered Mark. "Hey, didn't you say you knew a place to eat around here?"

"Oh, yeah. You're sitting against it." He gestured towards the wall behind the musician.

"Huh, this dump? Y'know, I don't think I've ever been inside there." He mused, standing up and turning around.

As he stood, Angel got a good look at him for the first time. His hair was bleached at the tips and his eyes were heavy with a life of troubles. He wore a black leather jacket with several chains hanging off of it, and Angel saw a tattoo wrapping around his arm from the hole in the sleeve. His hardcore rocker appearance ended at the waist, where he was clad in some very questionable plaid pants. It picked up again at his ankles, where a pair of worn-out black combat boots was visible.

He turned back around and caught Angel giving him the once-over. "What?" he said, annoyed.

"Nice pants."


	4. Chapter 4

**So uh… oops. I guess I lied when I said it'd be finished in December, huh. I'm sorry guys, I've been really busy and then I sorta forgot about this story. Anywho, I'm baaaaaaaaaack!**

**This chapter's short. Then again, all my chapters are short. But I really wanted to post this just to get the story moving again.**

**I guess it's only fair to give my usual note to my reviewers, late as it is:**

**CES5410:**** Thanks! Sorry about the confusion, but don't worry, it's supposed to be a mystery. I'm taking a few artistic liberties with the plot here, so bear with me, it shall all be explained in the future.**

**Chalcedony Rivers:**** Yeah, that Roger.**

Roger glanced down at his pants before meeting Angel's gaze once again. "You dot a problem with my pants?"

"No, no." Angel backed off. _Okay, no humor for hardcore rocker dude_, she mused.

He grunted an annoyed "hmph" before starting to bend down and place his guitar in its case, but he paused mid-bend, catching sight of Angel's hand.

"that's a nice ring. Where'd you get it?"

"Huh?" Angel glanced at her finger, and she saw April's gold band glitter in the sun. "Oh, ah, it was a gift from a woman I met named Mimi." Angel answered, deciding on a whim to leave out the whole manslaughter incident.

"It looks familiar. Like the ring..." His voice trailed off for a moment, "Wait! Did you say Mimi?" Suddenly Angel's statement clicked in his head.

"Yes I did. She's really sweet."

"Mimi, yeah, I've met her. She's really something." Roger smiled a little bit. "But…" His brow furrowed and he turned back to the ring. "I know that ring. Did Mimi tell you where it came from?"

Angel decided to tell a bit more of the truth. "It came from someone named April."

"April!" Roger exclaimed. "Ah, I used to date April. I gave her that ring years ago. No wonder it's so familiar. I wonder how Mimi got it, though."

Angel sighed, shifting from foot to foot worriedly. She was even less willing to explain the situation now, but she had to say something. "Well, April… eh, she, um, well she died." Angel finished quickly, afraid to say anymore. She hated giving bad news.

"Oh my God. How?" Roger looked suddenly melancholy.

Angel sighed. _Might as well just get it over with. He's not gonna let this go. And I always was a terrible liar. _"Honey, it was my fault. I lost control of my car, and – "

"You WHAT?" Roger was on his feet in a flash. He got right into Angel's face. "So what, you just kill people then take their stuff?" He was shouting now, far louder than the usual whispers, and people stared as they walked by.

Roger looked like he had several more minutes of ranting left to do, but suddenly he stopped and took a step back. His face softened.

"I- I guess I overreacted." His voice dropped back down to a reasonable volume. He took a deep breath. "It's just, a lot to think about."

"Oh sugar, I'm so sorry." Angel stepped forward to comfort him, but Roger backed away suddenly until he was pressed against the wall.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine." He said shortly.

He looked like he wanted to forget the incident. Angel obliged him. "So hey, you still up for lunch?"

"Hm? Oh, sure. Yeah. Lunch sounds great."

Angel giggled and grabbed Roger's arm. She turned around. "Oh, Mark? You coming?"

Mark, who had been inspecting a menu on the wall in a desperate attempt to mind his own business (not one of his strong points), gratefully turned and joined Angel and Roger through the welcoming doors of the café.

Maureen glared at the trio through the window of her car, sitting just a few yards away, pondering over this new development. _What is she doing with… him?_


	5. Chapter 5

**I had the day off from rehearsal today and didn't feel like doing my homework, and thus, another chapter was born. Enjoy!**

**To my reviewers:**

**Amara 15****: Thanks! Many a plot twist await!**

**iNvIsIbLe GiRl 12****: Well, I'm glad you like it! Interestingly enough, I was inspired to make this story only after realizing how well all of the Bohemians fit into the roles.**

**Obsessive-elphaba:**** Wow, so many reviews! I'm glad to have such a fan, heh. And you'll find out the truth about Maureen right here, teehee!**

Roger plopped unceremoniously into a booth near the door of the restaurant.

"Y'know," Mark said uncertainly, glancing around and shifting from foot to foot nervously, "I don't think we're supposed to just seat ourselves like that."

Angel ignored his protest and dragged him to the booth, seating herself next to him and across from Roger. Business must have been slow, as they had no sooner settled themselves in than a flamboyant-looking young waiter waltzed over to them.

"So, what can I get you three lovely people?" He flipped his hair and looked at them expectantly.

"Hmm, well, I'm kinda thirsty… Ooh! Do you have any tequila?" Angel squealed. She secretly loved tequila, but rarely drank it. She figured this odd little day qualified as a special occasion.

"Sure thing, girlfriend. And you guys?" He flipped his hair again and glanced at Mark and Roger.

"Umm…" Mark was wishing he'd actually paid some attention to the wall menu. He was feeling more and more stressed the more he thought about Benny, and decided maybe alcohol was a good idea. "Well, got any good beer?"

"Ah! Of course we do! I'll surprise you here." The waiter chimed, furiously scribbling on his pad. He then turned to Roger. "And you?"

Roger glanced up at Angel. "So look, I don't have any money..."

"Oh, I can cover it." Angel grinned. She just wanted to stay on his good side right now, anyway.

"All right." Roger rubbed his hands together and put on a British accent. "In that case, I shall take a glass of your finest wine!"

Angel snickered and Mark rolled his eyes.

The waiter quickly finished writing, mumbling to himself softly "Wine… and beer… Okay! I'll be back with your drinks in no time!" He flounced away.

"So Roger, how long have you been in love with Mimi?" Mark asked with mock casualness.

Roger shot Mark a death glare. "I do _not_ love Mimi."

"Oh, come on. I saw that look in your eyes when her name came up." Mark goaded. He was clearly enjoying making Roger nervous.

"I told you, I _do NOT –"_ But they never got the chance to find out what Roger didn't, because at that moment he swung his arm out for emphasis and managed to trip up some distracted waitress who was carrying a tray of some kind of miso soup that managed to splatter Angel and Roger totally. Mark had foreseen the accident and ducked under a plastic desert menu.

"Shit." Roger groaned. He sighed and flopped back against the booth.

"Ah, ah, hot hot hot!" Angel whined, shaking her hands in distaste.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" The poor waitress gushed, apparently unaware that the accident was not entirely her fault. "Oh, just come on with me, I'll get you two all cleaned up yes I will!" She continued babbling. "Come, come, I'll have you fixed in a jiffy, oh gosh, I'm so sorry, so sorry…" She dragged Angel and Roger from the booth and towards the kitchen.

Mark lowered his laminated shield and looked on quizzically. _Well, that was interesting…_ He mused. He leaned back against his chair with a resounding _whump_! He was just about to close his eyes and relax for a moment in silence when a shrill voice broke his trance, for Maureen had spotted her chance to play catch-up with her ex-boyfriend.

"Maaaaaaaarkyyyyyyyyy!" She trilled, bouncing over to his booth. She sat down opposite him and giggled childishly. "Hi there." She waved flirtatiously.

Mark sighed. "Hi Maureen." He said with a tired, I-don't-really-want-to-see-you-but-I-don't-want-to-be-rude-so-I'm-pretending-to-be-enthusiastic voice.

"So, you're looking well. How've ya been?" Maureen asked innocently.

"Fine."

"You know, sometimes Joanne can be such a bore." She plowed on. "I mean, she's so _dull_ and sometimes, I –" Here she leaned in close to Mark and whispered into his ear – "miss you."

Mark cleared his throat loudly and rocketed backwards in his seat, nearly banging his head on a column behind him. "Look Maureen, I'm not going to be a part of this. You're the one who ended it, anyway."

Maureen gave up the romantic approach. "But I need your _help_! I want that ring. And besides, the whole mess was your fault!"

"My fault? My fault for what, figuring out that everything you ever said was a lie?" Suddenly the other part of what Maureen had said dawned on him. "The ring? Is that what you're after?" He shook his head. "Forget it. I'm not going to help you. Ever."

"It wasn't all a lie." Maureen pouted, tactfully avoiding the interrogation about the ring. She ducked under the booth and appeared again next to Mark, sliding her arm around him.

Mark shivered. He tried to force himself to pull away from her, but it was harder than he would have hoped. _Damn it Mark, she's _evil._ Snap out of it._

Maureen caught the reluctance in his actions. She scooted a little closer to him. "Something wrong?"

He pushed her away again, more sure of himself this time. "You can't control me anymore." He seethed. "Besides, I'm going right now to tell Benny what you're up to." He immediately regretted sharing that particular bit of information.

Maureen's eyes turned to ice. "Oh, no you're not." She got right into his face. "Because I. Will. Get. Angry." She let a little spark of electricity shoot from her hands for emphasis and Mark flinched.

Maureen smirked. He _always_ backed down. "Good Marky." She happened to glance up and noticed Roger and Angel on their way back.

_Damn it._ "Well, bye-bye then!" She was syrupy-sweet again in an instant. "Kiss goodbye?"

Mark raised a cynical eyebrow at her.

"Fine, fine." She blew a kiss at him anyway, and quickly exited the restaurant.

Mark sighed and rubbed his temples. _This is going to end badly._


	6. Chapter 6

**So, in case anyone's wondering where that last chapter came from, there's a short scene in the Wizard of Oz right after they meet the tin man where the wicked witch shows up and lights the scarecrow on fire… and that was my take on it. Heh. **

**This chapter's a bit longer than my usual ones, which is rare, because I usually get lazy and post chapters that slowly shorten over time. So enjoy this one for what it is!**

**To my reviewers:**

**obsessive-elphaba:**** Oops, sorry about your name before. I try to always type names as people write them, but I think spell check fixed that one against my will, haha. And uh… wow. I've never had a #1 fan before! I'm so glad you like my stories! *Feels speshul* **

**Chalcedony Rivers****: Thanks! It just about wrote itself, heheh.**

Roger and Angel quickly ducked around a wall just outside of the kitchen. Roger glanced back. "Is that annoying waitress gone yet?"

Angel peeked bravely around the wall. "Yeah, I think so."

"Oh thank God, because I swear, I was about to – hey! Who's that talking to Mark?"

"Hmm?" Angel turned back around. _Is that Maureen? What the hell?_

"Hey, that's Maureen! Crazy bitch. Why is Mark talking to her?" Roger piped up.

Angel whipped around. "You know her?"

"Yeah, she was a friend of…" His voice trailed off.

Angel remembered how much Maureen had liked April. Oops. _Time to change the subject._

"I've been told she's kind of a troublemaker. I wonder what she's up to."

Roger pondered for a moment. "You said you were going to see Benny? Y'know, she really hates him. I wonder if that's why she's following you. She's been out to take him down for ages."

"Huh." Angel couldn't think of a better response.

Roger continued to study the scene before them. "You know, I've been thinking… Mark looks kinda familiar. I've been wondering about that, it's like I've seen him somewhere before. Seeing him next to Maureen like that, you know, I think they've known each other for a long time. I probably met him at some point through April or something."

The two of them watched again. Maureen was scooting closer and closer to Mark.

"Hmm, they do kind of look like a couple." Angel gasped. "You don't think they're working together, do you? What if he's just coming to do something to Benny? He did seem really interested in tagging along after I mentioned going to see him."

"Woah, woah, way to jump to conclusions there. He seems cool to me." Roger cautioned.

"I guess… it's just, he seemed really excited to come along. When I asked him why he needed to talk to Benny in the first place, he got all weird and defensive. It's just suspicious to me." Angel countered.

"Well, you may be right. And besides, what would some regular, innocent guy want with a money-crazy jerk like Benny, anyway?"

"Exactly, sugar!" Angel exclaimed.

"Well look, let's just play it cool." Roger warned quietly. "Act like you don't know what he's up to."

Angel nodded. _Play it cool._

She and Roger strolled back to the table, conveniently not noticing Maureen as she slipped out the door.

"Hey Mark." Roger said casually, sliding back into his seat.

Mark jumped slightly, then turned back to face Roger. "Oh, hi."

Angel sat down next to Roger. "Hey look, let's just finish our drinks and get out of here before anything else happens."

Roger felt that she may not just be referring to the soup.

"Sounds good to me." Mark agreed quickly, picking up his drink, which had apparently arrived at some point while he was talking to Maureen.

Angel and Roger exchanged a glance. _Why is he in such a hurry now?_

They shook it off and drank quickly and mostly in silence. They all had a lot to think about, after all.

Roger finished first. He gulped down the last of his wine and clonked the glass down with a sigh. "Everyone ready?"

"Yeah." Angel replied, sipping up the last drops.

Mark, who suddenly felt like he wanted to be a little drunk at the moment despite not normally liking alcohol much, tipped his glass back and tried to get every drop before looking up and nodding his head at the others.

Angel reached into her pocket and dug around for some cash before finally managing to produce a few crumpled bills. She slammed them down on the table and stood up quickly.

"Well come on, boys, let's get moving!" Angel chirped, doing a little motivational dance to inspire Mark and Roger to move.

"All right, all right, I'm coming." Roger slowly raised himself from his seat, followed by a contemplative Mark.

The crew of friends lumbered outside and took a moment to breathe in the fresh air.

"All right, well, you're going downtown, right? I know a shortcut there, if you're interested."

"Very interested!" Angel exclaimed.

"Come on, down this alley here." Roger took off down a side street and turned sharply into a sleazy-looking alley. "Careful, this area is crawling with drug dealers and muggers and crazies."

"Oh my." Angel mused. Mark gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and they exchanged a quick glance before following Roger down the gravelly road.

_He can't possibly be evil… can he?_ Angel pondered as the walked. She got so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the man curled up in against a wall whom she proceeded to trip over.

"Oof!" He loosed a tired grunt.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Angel cried quickly, spinning around to face the stranger.

"S'okay." He grunted. He attempted to sit up slowly but coughed a few times and slumped back down. His face caught the light and Angel saw that there was blood dribbling form his lip and one of his eyes was swollen.

_I didn't do that!_ Angel thought worriedly. She bent down to examine him more closely. "You okay honey?"

"I'm afraid so." He grumbled.

"Here, let me help you." Angel rummaged around in her purse for some tissues. "So, what's your name?" She asked as she dabbed at his face.

"I'm Collins. And you are…?"

"I'm Angel."

"Angel." He repeated, looking up. He stifled a gasp when he saw her face. "Well _hello_ Angel."


	7. Chapter 7

**Another chapter already? I should get some kind of medal for this.**

**To my reviewers:**

**Chalcedony Rivers: ****Haha, yay! They are such a cute couple, aren't they? I'm glad it's coming out well.**

**Amara15:**** I know, right? Those jerks. Hahaha. And yes, I've always regretted how long it takes the lion to appear in the Wizard of Oz. But hey? He's here now.**

**Also: Wassap with the lack of reviewers here? I really appreciate those of you who review regularly, but I think (or hope) I have more than three readers. I know it seems selfish, but I love seeing reviews. It can be really short or negative or anything, srsly. When I wrote for Pokemon, I'd get like a good 7-8 reviews per chapter sometimes. Are you guys gonna get beat by **_**Pokemon?**_

**On that note, I present chapter seven!**

"So… uh, Angel, what brings a pretty young thing like you down here?" Collins asked with a grin as Angel carefully dabbed at his forehead.

She glanced sideways at Roger before replying, "We're on our way to pay a visit to Benny so he can help me get home."

"_Benny!?_" Collins sputtered. "You're associating yourself with _him_?"

"What, do you know him?" Roger inquired.

"Yeah. I hate him." Collins' voice was unwavering.

"Why?" Angel asked, her eyes wide.

"Because he's a jerk! These people all live in fear of the government – of him – and for what? So he can feel in-control? So he can rest easy knowing we're all paying for his greed? I don't know what's wrong with the guy, but somebody should do something about it!"

"If you hate him so much, why don't _you_ do something about it?" Roger chided.

"Ah well, I have been. You know, spreading information, aiding various underground resistances. But we don't seem to even be making a dent in the situation, and it gets me into a shitload of trouble."

"Is that how you ended up here?" Mark questioned, gesturing to the alley ground.

"Yeah… that would be the work of some government cronies." Collins sighed dejectedly. "Sometimes I wish I could just go and give that bastard a piece of my mind."

"What's stopping you?" Roger asked, looking like he was beginning to get annoyed.

"Well, not having a death wish is a big part of it." Collins conceded.

"Well sugar, maybe you should tag along with us. You sound like you need to resolve this for yourself. Even if it doesn't work out, maybe you'll feel better knowing you really went for it. We'll be here for you." Angel placed a comforting hand on Collins' shoulder at the last sentence, and Collins felt his stomach flutter at the contact. He swallowed in an attempt to control the urge to touch her in return.

"Well, okay, I guess I should get out of here anyway. I'll come along." _If it means I get to spend time with you._

Angel giggled and helped him to his feet, holding on to his hand a little longer than was necessary. He caught her eye and she winked at him.

Collins felt his heart soar again. Maybe his luck was starting to turn around.

_Meanwhile…_

"Ooh, Joanne! I have had the _worst_ day!" Maureen burst dramatically into her lair and proceeded to throw herself down onto the bed.

"What's wrong?" Joanne swiftly glided over to Maureen's bed, her thick black shoes' muffled _thump_ echoing on the ground. She started to rub her lover's back gently, awaiting an undoubtedly long-winded response.

"April's dead, baby, she was _murdered!"_

Joanne was taken aback. Normally, when Maureen had a bad day, it was because she couldn't find the right dress at her favorite store, or because a performance went poorly. But this was _real_ bad news.

"Oh honeybear, what happened?" Joanne said soothingly, knowing Maureen really needed her.

"Some girl named Angel ran her over with a car, and then stole her favorite ring! Remember, the gold one she never took off from that ex-boyfriend what's-his-name of hers?"

Joanne, of course, knew of no such ring and no such what's-his-name because she barely knew April, but she took Maureen's word for it. "Why?" She pressed, honestly curious.

"I don't know! She was crazy! And she hates me! She's so mean, and I never did anything to her! Ugh…" Maureen's expression probably turned from sadness to disgust. "It must be because she's hanging around with that Mark. I wish he'd just get out of my life forever."

Now _that_ was a name Joanne recognized. Mark; Maureen's ex-boyfriend.

"Yeah, I ran into him today too, just to make my day even worse. Do you know he was coming on to me? I was all: 'get over it, you had your chance!' I'm so sick of all of them." Maureen launched into another bout of sobs.

"Maureen, I'm sorry about what happened…"

Maureen sat up suddenly. "I want that ring." The tears were gone now, and they had been replaced by determination.

Joanne looked at her curiously.

"The ring! April's ring! I want it back. That stupid Angel shouldn't have it anyway. I just know that April won't be able to rest in peace until that ring is where it belongs: with me!"

"Maureen, I don't think –"

"Pookie, can you go get that ring form those people for me?" Maureen whined.

Joanne sighed. She should have seen it coming. "Maureen, I have a lot to do today, I don't want to go steal from a bunch of people I've never even met."

"It's not _stealing_, it's taking back what's ours." Maureen insisted.

Joanne rubbed her temples. "Look, Mo, I just don't think it's going to accomplish anything."

"But _Joanne!_" Maureen wailed.

"Well…"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?" Maureen put on her best puppy-dog face and grabbed Joanne's hand gently.

_Oh, I can't resist that face…_ Joanne thought helplessly. "Okay, okay, I'll go."

"Oh, !" Maureen squealed. "I think I'm gonna go take a hot back to calm my nerves after this stressful day!" She bounded out of the room before Joanne had a chance to give her a kiss goodbye.

Joanne flopped back on the bed. _What am I doing here?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry about the wait. I got the new Pokemon game last week, so you know… ^^;**

**Anywho, here ya go!**

**To my reviewers:**

**livromaniaque: **** Yes, I actually spent a long time thinking about that scene. I'm pretty happy with the option I'm gong with, hehehe.**

**Chalcedony Rivers****: ****Good thing, too! I put so much more work into this plot than into my impromptu Pokemon stories. I'm glad I got to finally bring Angel/Collins in, too.**

**Wonder1234:**** Thanks! And… woah, that's trippy. If I ever write a sequel, that'll be it.**

**obsessive-elphaba:**** You're forgiven! Haha. And you'll just have to wait and see what I do with that little scene right thar.**

"Hey look, we're almost there!" Mark noticed, pointing out ahead. Sure enough, there was a jumble of tall buildings on the horizon.

"Ooh, yay!" Angel cried excitedly. "I sure can't wait to get home!" Angel ran off ahead dancing. Collins, who had been trying to inconspicuously grab her hand, laughed and followed her, leaving Mark and Roger in the dust.

Roger saw an opportunity to confront Mark.

"So," he began casually. "You know Maureen?" Roger grinned, satisfied with his own sneakiness.

Mark chuckled. "Unfortunately."

"What do you mean?" Roger asked. _Who does he think he's fooling?_ Roger studied Mark again. He looked like he was hiding something.

"It's kind of complicated."

Roger pushed harder. "Come on, I'm curious."

"It doesn't matter. Hey! How'd you know that I know her, anyway?" Mark frowned.

_Damn._. "I saw you… ah… talking in that restaurant."

"Oh yeah. She sure is crazy sometimes." He sighed. "I don't know what I was thinking back then, really."

"Back when?"

Now it was Mark's turn to scold himself. "Nothing, nothing! We just sorta used to… dateorsomething…" He coughed.

"Uh-_huh._"

"Hey, where'd Collins and Angel go?" Mark said suddenly, scanning the bleak cityscape ahead.

"Don't change the subjec—hey! You're right." Roger, too, noticed that Angel and Collins had vanished.

The two exchanged a worried glance.

_Meanwhile…_

"Whee! Don't you love skipping?" Angel sang.

Collins was sprinting behind her, panting. "I… _gasp_… love it!" He managed to choke out.

Angel laughed again and slowed down. "You okay there?"

"Yeah." Collins breathed, resting his hands on his knees.

"Hey look, there's an interesting street up there!" Angel said, pointing. There was a long gravelly road crammed with small shops, restaurants, and other entertaining-looking buildings.

"Wanna go look around?" Collins asked, boldly offering his hand.

"Yeah, let's go honey!" She took it and they started forward at a more reasonable pace.

"Hey youse guys!" A small man ran up to them. "Wanna buy somethin'?" He showed them his small stand, which included everything form newspapers to suspicious jewelry.

"No, no thanks." Collins answered. "Uh… thanks, though." He gripped Angel's hand tighter and led her away.

"Honest living!" He called after them.

"What an interesting place. Ooh! Look, Collins! A bakery!" Angel was giddy again as she briskly made her way over to a bakery crammed between a casino and a whorehouse.

"I don't think this place would sell the most respectable –" Collins began, but they were already there.

A young, boyish woman stood out in front with a tray of brownies. "Hello there! Would you two care for a free sample?" She pushed the tray under their noses.

"Well, those do smell pretty good." Collins conceded. He looked at Angel and they each turned back to the woman and took a brownie before continuing on.

"Thanks for the brownies!" Angel called over her shoulder.

"No problem!" Joanne responded, waving and trying to hide her grin.


End file.
